Covid Update
Another grim milestone: COVID-19 deaths reached 800,000 in the U.S. (Reuters)
Also according to Reuters, the U.S. count passed 50 million coronavirus cases as of Sunday.
The unofficial U.S. COVID-19 toll from Johns Hopkins University as of Monday at 8 a.m. EST, is 49,921, 422 cases and 797, 348 deaths, increases of 834,582 cases and 8,984 deaths versus a week ago.
At one Kentucky hospital, most victims experienced chemical burns, long bone injuries, and other crush injuries due to last week’s tornadoes. (Washington Examiner)
At least one individual with the Omicron variant has died in the United Kingdom, said Prime Minister Boris Johnson. (Reuters)
Johnson, who warned of a “tidal wave” of new cases from Omicron, encouraged all eligible adults to get their booster shots, and pledged to make enough doses available before the new year. (Politico)
And real-world studies of variant in Britain lend more urgency to the call for more booster shots. (New York Times)
In the streets of Prague, thousands of activists protested a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for certain populations including medical personnel, on Sunday. (ABC News)
France has launched 400 investigations into fake vaccine certificates; a cause triggered in part by a woman in a Paris hospital who showed a fake pass and later died of the virus. (ABC News)
And South Africa’s fully vaccinated president, Cyril Ramaphosa, tested positive for coronavirus, but is experiencing only mild symptoms. (CNN)
A CBS News poll finds that 81% of Americans have not canceled their holiday plans because of the Omicron variant, while 19% have.
And as many as 40,000 U.S. military employees are continuing to refuse COVID-19 vaccines with the deadline for a federal mandate fast approaching. (Washington Post)
New York issued a mask mandate for all indoor spaces that do not require full vaccination. (Channel 4, NBC News)
Connecticut will permit residents there to use a cell phone app to demonstrate proof of vaccination. (The Hill).
The Supreme Court ruled to allow a Texas ban on most abortions to continue, but will permit clinics there to challenge the measure (AP)
Citing a new precedent set by the high court, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) said he intends to propose a gun-control law using the Texas abortion law as a blueprint. (Fox News)
The FDA approved oral finasteride and tadalafil (Entadfi) to treat urinary tract symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia, Veru announced.
The agency also approved a paclitaxel-coated balloon (Optilume) for use in male urethral stricture, Urotronic said.
Medicine has taken strides to improving diversity in its ranks, with the exception of one stubborn field. (Stat News)
A Pittsburgh school is closed on Monday following an outbreak of what experts believe to be norovirus. (KDK2 CBS Pittsburgh)
And scientists are analyzing the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain to better understand pedestrian dynamics. (ABC News) Despite less mature immune systems, infants are responsive